1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording by ejecting ink from a recording head onto a recording medium. More specifically, the present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus that has a cap for covering ejection orifices in a recording head.
2. Description of the Related Art
An inkjet recording apparatus performs recording by selectively ejecting ink from a plurality of ejection orifices in accordance with image information. Such an inkjet recording apparatus uses a cap for covering ejection orifices to protect the recording head and to prevent ink from drying. A typical cap is made of an elastomer, such as rubber, to ensure sealing performance.
If a cap is kept in contact with an ejection orifice surface of a recording head for a certain period of time, the cap may stick to the recording head depending on the materials of the cap and the ejection orifice surface or storage condition after shipment. When the recording apparatus is turned on when the cap and the recording head stick together, they may not be easily separated, which may cause malfunction.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 7-276658 and 2005-169713 each disclose an inkjet recording apparatus that enables a cap to be easily removed from an ejection orifice surface of a recording head, by separating the contact surfaces of the cap and the ejection orifice surface from one end, and subsequently separating the remaining portion of the contact surfaces. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-128987 discloses an inkjet recording apparatus in which an anti-stick liquid is applied to one of the contact surfaces of the recording head and the cap.
As the quality of images produced by inkjet recording apparatuses these days improves, the size of ejection orifices in recording heads further decreases and the density of the ejection orifices becomes higher. This requires improvement in sealing performance of caps for covering ejection orifice surfaces of recording heads. To improve sealing performance of caps, unnecessary deformation of the caps in a capped state needs to be eliminated. However, if caps are more tightly brought into contact with ejection orifice surfaces of recording heads, the caps more strongly stick thereto. This results in a problem in that a large force is required to remove the caps from the ejection orifice surfaces of the recording heads.